Stafford Rangers 0 Wolves 2

Daniel Jones gave watching manager Mick McCarthy a timely reminder as a strong Wolves reserve side made light of Steve Bull's Stafford in front of a healthy Marston Road crowd.

Jones, whose first team chances remain firmly in the balance with Stephen Ward, Matt Jarvis and Michael Gray ahead of him, helped set one up and scored a blockbuster.

The performance of Jones – one of eight professionals in the Wolves line-up – echoed the no-nonsense way the visitors set about Rangers as the game was won within the first half hour.

Click here to see more pictures from the game.

Stafford keeper Danny Alcock dropped a stinging cross from Mark Little before the increasingly overworked shotstopper palmed away Jones's cross-shot as Wolves forced five corners in the first 15 minutes.

Forgotten midfielder Denes Rosa broke the deadlock in the 13th minute with a low, first-time left-foot drive tucked inside the post after a corner by Jones had been missed by Darren Ward and partly cleared to the edge of the area.

Jones then headed wide from Rosa's cross and ex-Stafford loanee Liam Hughes volleyed off target before Wolves made it 2-0 in the 28th minute.

Jones will never hit a better ball either as he rocketed a full-blooded volley that ripped into the roof of the net from 20 yards after Little's cross on the run had been missed by Stephen Elliott and cleared.

Keeper Carl Ikeme tipped wide a 30-yard angled daisycutter from Ishmale Reid and David McNiven stabbed straight at the Wolves custodian as Rangers belatedly managed to get forward.

But Wolves hit back and Hughes could have had three goals before the break.

First he curled over after Mark Davies put through Elliott, whose angled effort then brought a flying save from Alcock. Hughes had a volley disallowed from Jones's cross, before the unlucky striker trod on the ball in front of goal from Little's centre.

Wolves continued to dominate after the break and Jones lashed over from close range after Elliott's cross missed everyone.

Jones was guilty again, firing wide following Elliott's through ball and Hughes sidefooted wide trying to pick his spot from Darren Potter's cross.

Alcock had his hands stung by a fierce angled effort from Hughes, and although Dave McPherson forced a falling save from Ikeme, this was no night to assess Ivory Coast's former Toulouse centre-half Issoumaila Dao, a late replacement for Blackpool-bound Rob Edwards.

Stafford (3-5-2): Alcock; Daniel, Wilson, Amos; Lockie (Francis HT), Palmer (Loukes 80), McPherson (Morris 64), Thorley (Ingram 74), Reid (Read 83); McNiven (McMahon 74, Crawley 89)), Wellecombe. Sub not used: Allen.

Wolves (4-4-2): Ikeme; Little (Malone 58), Dao, D Ward (Connolly 82), Melbourne; Rosa, Potter (Davis 82), Davies, Daniel Jones (K Bennett 64); Hughes, Elliott (Hemmings 57). Sub not used: Woolley.

Referee: P Dowd (Stoke). Attendance: 1,679.